Before I start, here are some threads on this topic, but with no actionable advice in my opinion (hence I started this new thread):
archive/inde...37864.html
printthread.php?tid=55734
archive/inde...266-3.html
thread-63447.html
I'm struggling with the whole concept of prospecting. I've been doing some prospecting but it's a lot of mucking about for me and I feel like I'm trying to learn how to walk when I can only crawl and what I really need is the ability to run.
I've taken out some books on the subject from the library, but almost all these books are written by salesmen for salesmen, and ignore the realities of being a small business owner/sole proprietor. Another issue is that they focus on direct selling, which I don't think suits my personality. In the same way as indirect game worked best for me, I find that indirect prospecting has so far brought me customers - in other words, finding someone who knows a potential customer and then the 'middle-man' refers the customer to me. (Maybe I'm too cold and expressionless to charm customers directly?)
The internet as a teacher is not much better, way too many resources on closing the sale and too little on opening customers in the first place.
I need something like 'Bang' and 'Day Bang', to explain to me what prospecting is and how it's done in a way that makes sense to someone of low social intelligence such as myself.
But since I couldn't find anything like that, I turn to the forum. I hope y'all can share some of your experiences.
How do y'all prospect for customers? What are your prospecting systems? What resources are great for non-sales professionals who need to prospect? What's better for prospecting - real world or online interactions?
If you had a little brother who you taught game to but is now coming to you to ask how to meet customers, how would you walk him through all the baby steps? Assume that he can close a sale but his problem is he doesn't know how to find people to sell to.
I'm sure there are many other guys in the same boat as me, so on behalf of all of them, thanks in advance for any lessons shared.
archive/inde...37864.html
printthread.php?tid=55734
archive/inde...266-3.html
thread-63447.html
I'm struggling with the whole concept of prospecting. I've been doing some prospecting but it's a lot of mucking about for me and I feel like I'm trying to learn how to walk when I can only crawl and what I really need is the ability to run.
I've taken out some books on the subject from the library, but almost all these books are written by salesmen for salesmen, and ignore the realities of being a small business owner/sole proprietor. Another issue is that they focus on direct selling, which I don't think suits my personality. In the same way as indirect game worked best for me, I find that indirect prospecting has so far brought me customers - in other words, finding someone who knows a potential customer and then the 'middle-man' refers the customer to me. (Maybe I'm too cold and expressionless to charm customers directly?)
The internet as a teacher is not much better, way too many resources on closing the sale and too little on opening customers in the first place.
I need something like 'Bang' and 'Day Bang', to explain to me what prospecting is and how it's done in a way that makes sense to someone of low social intelligence such as myself.
But since I couldn't find anything like that, I turn to the forum. I hope y'all can share some of your experiences.
How do y'all prospect for customers? What are your prospecting systems? What resources are great for non-sales professionals who need to prospect? What's better for prospecting - real world or online interactions?
If you had a little brother who you taught game to but is now coming to you to ask how to meet customers, how would you walk him through all the baby steps? Assume that he can close a sale but his problem is he doesn't know how to find people to sell to.
I'm sure there are many other guys in the same boat as me, so on behalf of all of them, thanks in advance for any lessons shared.